Friday, December 31, 2010

So…it looks like I read approximately 228 books in 2010. Lesson learned: KEEP TRACK OF THE BOOKS YOU READ AS YOU READ THEM! I had to look through my Goodreads profile (and of course I don’t have that little “date read” thingy set up) so I could guesstimate my total! And here are my top 10 in no particular order:

Raised by Wolves:Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Alpha:The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can—that will—change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.

But life never waits until you're ready.

Radiant Shadows:Hunger for nourishment.Hunger for touch.Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

In the Dark of Dreams:She could never forget the boy with the ice blue eyes . . .

She was only twelve when she saw the silver boy on the beach, but Jenny has never stopped dreaming about him. Now she is grown, a marine biologist charting her own course in the family business—a corporation that covertly crosses the boundaries of science into realms of the unknown . . . and the incredible.

And now he has found her again, her boy grown into a man: Perrin, powerful and masculine, and so much more than human, leaving Jenny weak with desire and aching for his touch.

But with their reunion comes danger. For Perrin and Jenny—and all living creatures—their only hope for preventing the unthinkable lies in a mysterious empire far beneath the sea . . . and in the power of their dreams.

Heart of the Wolf:Their forbidden love may get them both killed.

Bella is a red werewolf, sole survivor of the fire that killed her entire pack.

Devlyn is a beta male werewolf in a pack of grays.

Forced to flee her adopted gray pack when the alpha male becomes a vicious threat, she struggles to live as a lone wolf, until Devlyn, the gray male who rescued her as a pup, comes to bring her home.

When a local red werewolf goes on a killing spree, Bella and Devlyn must flee the murderer, the police and their vengeful pack leader. With the full moon rising, and her heat upon her, Bella can't resist the pull to her destined mate, even if means Devlyn will have to face the wicked alpha male in a fight to the death...

Brightly Woven: Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

Willow: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Ice:When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back — if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her — until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

Waking the Witch:The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favour to one of the agency’s associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She’s run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn’t her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she’s ever had to learn.

Moon Sworn:Some nights never end.

Some desires never die. . . .

She ventures where no one else dares—into realms of peril and pleasure. But will this next journey be her last?

Shape-shifting werewolf and vampire Riley Jenson is through with death–causing it, solving it, surviving it. Her soul mate, Kye Murphy, is dead–and at Riley’s own hands. Not even the seductive embrace of her vampire lover, Quinn, can fully ease her mind, for she has begun questioning everything that makes her Riley–including her job at the Directorate.

Now, the ritualistically slain bodies of ex-cons have started turning up. Reluctantly, Riley takes the case, but something even worse is waiting in the wings. For a vicious enemy from her past is determined to strip Riley of everything that gives her life any meaning: her lover, her brother–and even her own identity. Can Riley survive this ultimate assault? All she knows is, she must fight one last time to find answers, before everything goes dark forever…

Well, I made it! One year… Wow time has passed so fast on here! I’d like to think that over the past year I have improved (a little) when it comes to my reviews of the books I read, but if you have any suggestions I am completely open and appreciative of your thoughts. I am planning on doing a little more with the blog next year (as long as it all works out), more author visits and I’m hoping to have a fellow Blogger visit once a month, doesn’t that sound like fun? I hope you all like it!

I’d like to sincerely thank all of you who stuck with me over the past year, and especially those lovelies who took the time to leave me comments! Since this is my One Year Blogoversary, annnd it’s the beginning of a new year, I’d like to share a little something with YOU! Tell me what your most anticipated book of 2011 is, and you could win an order/pre-order of that book from The Book Depository (up to $15 USD)!

I figured I’d better stop at 20 because I could be here all day! HAHA!

The Rules:- Leave me a comment with your most anticipated book (yes, I know It’s hard to choose only one) of 2011.- Contest is open to anywhere The Book Depository ships.- Contest runs from December 31st 2010 to January 8th 2011 12 AM EST.- Don’t forget to leave your email address (no email, no entry).

We were in a forest—a great expanse of glittering trees, shimmering leaves.

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.* Turn to page 56.* Find the fifth sentence.* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Entice: Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen.

Carrie Jones delves right into the action with this, the third installment in her series. Despite how much I enjoyed the intriguing story and plot twists, I found myself disconnected from the characters. I felt that Zara was annoyingly repetitive in speaking about her old life before the pixies, and I honestly felt a stronger connection to Astley than anyone else. Since her transformation from half-breed to full pixie, Zara is met with hesitation from her friends and she is constantly trying to prove that she is still Zara, still good. Astley, the pixie king that kissed Zara and changed her into his queen, is determined to find the path to Valhalla in order to keep Zara happy. He works tirelessly looking for leads, but each one they discover leads them into danger and they discover that betrayal can come from surprising places. The path to Valhalla is wrought with danger and lives are sacrificed in the search for Odin’s lands and Zara begins to lose hope that they will ever get Nick back. Despite her misgivings, Zara and her friends refuse to give up the search, trusting Astley is hard for the others but Zara has faith in his ability to find Valhalla. The true identity of Frank (the pixie terrorizing Zara’s small town and the one who killed Nick) is revealed and most shocking is how close to Astley he truly is. Zara is afraid that Nick won’t be able to look past his natural hatred for pixies. And when she reaches Valhalla to bring him home, she must battle and defeat Frank to earn Nick’s freedom, or lose him forever as he becomes one of Odin’s warriors.

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released and that I can't wait to read!

The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons by Katie MacAlister:Release Date: May 3, 2011 by Signet

Even an ancient dragon can learn how to multitask…

Ysolde de Bouchier is a woman beset with trials. The dragon part of her buried deep for centuries is still making itself known, but in ways that just don’t make sense. She’s continuing to have visions, but now they involve events she wasn’t present to witness.

As if that isn’t enough, she’s caught up in a tangled web of plans that seem to grow more complex each day. Not only does she have to work out peace between her Light Dragon mate Baltic and the weyr, she also has to free his friend, convince an archimage to lift the spell controlling her magic, figure out what it is that the First Dragon expects her to do, rescue a half-dragon damsel in over her head, and once and for all clear Baltic’s name of murder charges that continue to plague him.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

Lesley Livingston’s ingenious imagination produced a creative and stunning conclusion to the Wondrous Strange trilogy. The action is almost immediate and the twists and turns keep you guessing about who can truly be trusted. Some of the Janus Guard (changelings trained to protect the mortal realm from violent rogue Fae) have become corrupted and are attacking Lost Fae trapped in the human realm. Sonny believes the lie Kelley told in her need to protect him, and hurt beyond imagining, seeking sanctuary with the Lost Fae where he meets many fae, who in the future will become allies. Kelley is determined to keep Sonny safe by sending him away because she is convinced that she is his weakness, but she longs to be in his arms again. Kelley seeks a way to keep the secret within Sonny hidden, even from himself. Auberon, her father, is still ill and coming ever closer to deaths door, and Kelley learns that her anger at him for stripping her Unseelie powers caused his susceptibility to the curse put upon him. And now her mother, Mabh, is weakening. As terrible events unfold, Kelley and Sonny make their way back to each other and despite the uneasiness between then, together they must find who is responsible for all of the destruction and attacks against Auberon and the Fae Courts. Betrayal comes from an unlikely source, someone that is close to both Kelley and Sonny. But in the end, he redeems himself by making a monumental sacrifice in order to save another.

I am the last stop on Terry’s WOLF FEVER blog tour and I’d like to welcome her back to my blog! I love Terry’s lupus garous and my review of WOLF FEVER is here.

1. What inspired you to write WOLF FEVER?

Fans!!! Several loved Carol Wood from Destiny of the Wolf. She was such a flawed character that many wanted to see her with a happily ever after ending. My critique partner, Nicole North, who writes for Red Sage, was really upset with me at one point in Destiny of the Wolf because she thought Carol wasn’t going to live and that my hero, Darien, could not be a hero if he did anything to put Carol in peril. :) I hadn’t planned to, but I REALLY loved Nicole’s take on the story. It meant I had made Carol so real, and the suspense so real, and my critique partner sympathize with her so much, she couldn’t bear to see her die. So Carol got a new life, her very own life, in WOLF FEVER.

Now, I had one idea in mind for the story when I pitched it, but my editor said since Carol was a nurse—and this was very important to her in Destiny of the Wolf—why not make the story medical related. Okay, so about that time there was a flu epidemic scare and I thought why not a flu that effected werewolves differently?

But of course I had to have the perfect hero too. In Destiny of the Wolf, Chester Ryan McKinley was surprised that Carol Wood knew what she did about the murder that had occurred when HE was the one who was investigating it. You know, macho alpha male who is an expert, and here comes female nurse, not even a born werewolf and not a trained investigator, and SHE’S deciding the investigation?

Perfect. Now they’re in a race to find a werewolf cure and he doesn’t believe she truly can be psychic or that he’s anything more than vaguely intrigued with her, despite not being able to quit thinking about her 24/7, but that has all to do with the murder case and how she came up with the clues and nothing else. Right? Right!

And WOLF FEVER was born! :)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog again, Amy!

2. Did you research this book?

Absolutely!!! I had one idea about how to resolve the story. And my editor said she didn’t like it. LOL!!! I love my editor because she always makes my books all the better! So I mulled it around and came up with an entirely new angle, which meant lots more research, and voila! It worked!

3. If so, how did this impact the story?

Totally different ending! And I loved it. And my editor loved it. And my first reviewer did. So hopefully most everyone who reads it will too.

4. What did you do differently in this wolf tale?

For this story, it was how to cure a werewolf of being a werewolf. Okay, now I must adamantly say right here and now that my werewolves love who they are. They are not cursed or moping around about being werewolves. They don’t want to kill themselves off over the whole werewolfism bit. They’re born, for the most part, as werewolves, and proud to be such.Carol is the exception, not because she’s suddenly a werewolf, but because she has other issues that she can’t control either.

So the part about curing a werewolf has to do with the flu that has put them all in a really, really bad bind. Really. And has nothing to do with their werewolf image problems—which they just don’t have. And anyway, I discovered werewolf cures, but they’ll only work to an extent. The book will explain more in detail.

5. Did your active duty and reserve time in the US Army have any effect on your stories?

Yes! I’ve had my characters rappel, climb mountains, shoot guns, and use hand-to-hand combat that I learned when I was on active duty. Haven’t found a use for gas mask training, firing a tank, using a missile launcher, setting a claymore mine, or jumping across an open pit like me Tarzan, you Jane, yet. :)

6. You’ve been to Scotland and have Irish and Welsh ancestry also. Has this influenced your writing?

Absolutely! Since my next story is HEART OF THE HIGHLAND WOLF, I was also itching to write that one set in the Highlands of Scotland. I have an affinity for naming my characters with Scottish names, not even realizing it sometimes, and when I needed to make more of a background for McKinley, I thought why not attach some more importance to his Scottish heritage. I know a lot of folks who have Scottish roots who do, and I’ve been to some of the Highland games here in Texas, so I added that to the story.

7. Did you come across any research that made you rethink WOLF FEVER?

Yes!!! I’m sure every book I’ve written had at least one problem spot.

In WOLF FEVER, I thought I had the perfect werewolf cure—Wolfbane. But when I researched it, I discovered fictional authors have either prescribed it as a cure, a garlic-like protection from a werewolf, or a way to kill a werewolf.

In my book, I tell the truth about what wolfbane will really do. (This is said totally tongue in cheek because as you recall, I said fictional authors write about wolfsbane to suit their stories.)

8. Why wolves?

That they work together as a pack. Some Native American tribes revered the wolf for this reason. And for the romantic part of the equation? That the alpha pair mate for life. I’ve got a fun guest blog I’ve been asked to do later concerning werewolves that stray, and I’ve told why they don’t. OR else. :)

9. How did you begin your writing career?

I actually started out writing childrens' stories, and had a couple bumped up to a senior editor but the stories were too similar to ones they’d just bought. So I began writing historical romance and learned before I even sent it out that they weren’t selling. Then I read a YA vampire novel, and began writing adult vampire romances, and when I was told it was too hard to break into the vampire adult market unless you were already a famous author, I wrote Heart of the Wolf. One thing you learn in this business is to never give up. Just keep trying!

10. Why did you decide to become an author?

My alpha mate strayed. So it was time to write about alpha mates who didn’t!

11. Do you have a routine for writing?

I work full time, so I try to get some writing in when I get home from work at night, or catch up on my two days off. The main thing is I have a word count goal. Five thousand words a week are doable, and that’s my goal and it allows me to meet my next deadline even while I have edits to do on another book that is getting near its publishing date. I don’t have anything that I do regularly to warm up or cool down because I don’t have time. I just have this word count goal hanging over my head and know if I don’t get it done, I’m in BIG trouble. :)

12. What do you like to read?

I love time travels. Can’t think of any off hand that I’ve read of late, but that’s my favorite. And I love historical romance, and of course paranormal, though because I write it, I don’t usually read it except when I’m judging contests. I read a lot of historical, because most of it is NOT written in the time period my stories fall in which is medieval, so I’m not worried about writing something that someone else has already written by accident.

13. What’s next?

I’m working on book 9, THE WOLF AND THE SEAL and it’s halfway done, although by the time this blog comes out, it’ll be much farther along than that. And after that, I’ll be working on the sequel to HEART OF THE HIGHLAND WOLF, due out in June, which will be HIGHLAND WOLF IN PARADISE, or some such title. And then I’ve got to propose a couple of more tales.

14. You create award-winning bears also. How did that come about?

:) My maiden name is Wilde and my parents were creating doll carriages for doll collectors. At the time, I was playing around with making stuffed dolls and dressed bunnies and so my dad asked if I could create an old-fashioned teddy bear to display on their carriages at the shows they went to all over the States. I said sure, not ever having done so before, and they began winning awards, one receiving the highest honor: Best of Show at the Fort Lauderdale Teddy Bear and Doll Show. They were featured in Teddy Bear Review twice and received 1st place twice for best dressed categories and most unique bear for another. And they were in the International Teddy Bear Connection, a film! So Wilde and Woolly Bears was born. I sold to stores all over, plus they’ve been in several newspapers and magazines, and found homes all over the world, as far away as Australia and South Africa even!

14. Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Fans do make a difference in what I write. If anyone would like to see a kind of premise or a particular character have a story of their own, just let me know! You never know! It might become a story!

Thanks again, Amy, for having me!! I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and wish everyone who comments luck in winning an autographed book, WOLF FEVER or one of my backlist.

Rules for entry:- Contest runs from December 29, 2010 to January 5, 2011 12AM EST- Open to US and Canadian addresses only- Leave a comment about this interview with your email address included so I can contact you if you win!

Wondrous Strange:17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

Lesley Livingston is a Canadian author who created an interesting and consuming story. New York and the Fair Folk collide in this tale about love, secrets and magick. The folklore throughout this book was refreshing and her characters are engaging and incredibly lovable. Filled with adventure, this is the first book in the trilogy and I found it impossible to put the book down.

I invite and welcome anyone interested in participating to post their own "Random Recommendation" (original post) on their blog (and include a link back to this blog) and join in the fun! Some books might not be very recent reads, but I hope that just helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own bookshelf!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

“It didn’t bode well that Jaxon Castille was working. In his particular area of expertise it meant that someone was going to die.” (Page 1)

Here is how it works:- Grab your current read- Open to a random page- Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

On his eighteenth birthday, Aaron begins to hear strange voices and is convinced he is going insane. But having moved from foster home to foster home, Aaron doesn't know whom he can trust. He wants to confide in the cute girl from class, but fears she'll confirm he's crazy.

Then a mysterious man begins following Aaron. He knows about Aaron's troubled past and his new powers. And he has a message for Aaron: As the son of a mortal and an angel, Aaron has been chosen to redeem the Fallen.

Aaron tries to dismiss the news and resists his supernatural abilities. But he must accept his newfound heritage — and quickly. For the dark powers are gaining strength, and are hell-bent on destroying him....

With his incredible storytelling, Thomas E. Sniegoski drew me right into his book and the world he created. This volume is two books in one and they flow together nicely with little time having passed between the first and the second. They were both fast paced and the action was immediate, continuing throughout the whole book. I thoroughly enjoyed the religious mythology throughout the story. There are many fallen angel books available, and for the most part I enjoy all that I get my hands on, but this one caught my interest because it also tells the story of the Nephilim—children born of a human mother and a fallen angel. The world of the Nephilim is dangerous because there are angels known as the Powers that see them as a plague on God’s world. The Leader of these angels is Verchiel , his narcissism and hunger for power over the humans has left him out of God’s favor. A thousand years ago a prophecy was told that a Nephilim child would be the bridge between God and the fallen angels, leading them back home. Verchiel refuses to believe this and kills almost indiscriminately. Aaron is the Nephilim from the prophecy, and after the deaths of his foster parents and the kidnapping of his younger foster brother, Stevie; he must find the strength within himself to accept his new path and be the One. Aaron teams up with another fallen angel, Camael, only this one is different—he used to be the leader of the Powers—only he believed in the prophecy and chose to save the Nephilim from the wrath of Verchiel. They leave Aaron’s home in order to search for Stevie and following an inner sense has them traveling north to a small town called Blithe, where they encounter danger in the form of an ancient evil that has completely taken over the town. To save the people of the town, his friends and himself, Aaron must overcome his fears of the angelic essence within himself and embrace it, trusting that he can control the awesome power and that it will not control him.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station — and the link it provides to their original Life Times — the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around — next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher — and the perils graver — than any con game Ciara's ever played...